4 x 25 AFAP flutter kick w/fins @ :30
-- tried to hold 12s
-- was supposed to do more of these, but was cramping so desisted

50 EZ
5 x 50 smooth free w/agility paddles, work UWs @ 1:00
50 EZ

Total: 3550

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got home safe and sound. But it was a long trip and I didn't get to sleep until after 2:00 am. Was pretty tired today. It is blissful swimming at Mason on the weekend though -- virtually empty.

My 100 conditioning definitely took another hit on vacation. The 75s were hard. I contemplated just bagging any further work on 100s, but I'll probably keep plugging away with what time is left just because they will likely help my long course 50s in June. My current plan is 2 1/2 weeks hard (including today), rest 4 days for Zones, bump it up 4 days after Zones and then taper for two weeks for Indy.

What are peoples thoughts on this: Do weights help more for long course or short course?

The last couple long course nationals I've attended, my 50s felt so so long. Now, I didn't train much long course. Still, without walls, I take almost as many strokes as a short course 100. They just seem to require so much more cardio. Or at least you need to do race simulation in long course pools.

I would think that weights would help more for short course - my rationale being that there are more walls and my entirely uninformed guess is that a lot of the benefit of weights has its biggest impact on explosiveness off the wall.

I would think that weights would help more for short course - my rationale being that there are more walls and my entirely uninformed guess is that a lot of the benefit of weights has its biggest impact on explosiveness off the wall.

When I was a younger age grouper, we used to do the dryland training program that was set up by Mike Barrowman. He was all about leg power and explosiveness off the walls and starts. Our "main set" that we completed the dryland stuff with was 10 sets of 10 streamlined vertical leaps @ :30 interval. Come back down to touch fingertips to the ground, and then explode into the air. Shoes are much recommended if you're doing this on concrete decking as well. Also, don't start with the full set of 10 sets. Build up to it slowly. You'll be sore for a while. Our age group team had noticeably better walls and starts than others in our area for quite a while from doing this training.

I would think that weights would help more for short course - my rationale being that there are more walls and my entirely uninformed guess is that a lot of the benefit of weights has its biggest impact on explosiveness off the wall.

That's what I used to think and now I'm not sure at all. I think my jump training has more effect on my explosiveness off starts and walls than sheer leg strength. I'm wondering if more strength, especially upper body strength, can help your stroke from falling apart on long course sprints.

When I was a younger age grouper, we used to do the dryland training program that was set up by Mike Barrowman. He was all about leg power and explosiveness off the walls and starts. Our "main set" that we completed the dryland stuff with was 10 sets of 10 streamlined vertical leaps @ :30 interval. Come back down to touch fingertips to the ground, and then explode into the air. Shoes are much recommended if you're doing this on concrete decking as well. Also, don't start with the full set of 10 sets. Build up to it slowly. You'll be sore for a while. Our age group team had noticeably better walls and starts than others in our area for quite a while from doing this training.

Yep, just as I said above. I think jump training, like the vertical leaps you describe, has more to do with explosiveness off walls than anything.

I don't know about 10 sets of 10 though. I don't think that type of volume is necessary. Better to add some weight resistance to those jumps.